Restaurant offers pasta for under a buck

What can you buy for a buck these days?Not much, but for just 62 cents you can buy plenty Tuesday and Tuesdaynight at a restaurant in north suburban Highwood.

Bertucci's Italian Restaurant on Green Bay Road in Highwood is famous for its steaks and pastas, and until they close sometime late Tuesday night it is a food lover's Italian heaven. Bruce Bruce Bertucci, the owner, is offering a deal you can't refuse. He's selling his pasta dishes for just 62 cents.

"Well, 62 years ago I was born on this date, and I never thought I'd make it this far, and I thought I'd give back to my customers," Bertucci said.

Bruce says the recipes are his mom's and they come straight from Italy, all different kinds of pastas and sauces, and Tuesday they never tasted better: wonderful flavors, delicious prices.

"Good spaghetti! ...Sixty-two cents," said regular Evelyn Eul.

MATHIE: When was the last time you had 62-cent spaghetti?

"I don't even remember, but I think it must be only about 1928, 27," Eul said.

No steaks are sold for 62 cents, just the pasta dishes, all except one: the tortellacci. You can't sell tortellacci for 62 cents.

"Tortellacci is an Italian northern specialty and it's filled with cheese, homemade dough, and spinach. And it's a delicacy," Bertucci said.

And why not include it in the deal?

"Because it takes me six hours to make a batch of 1400, and everyone here would eat them so fast I'd run out," Bertucci said.

What a deal: soup or salad and your favorite pasta for 62 cents, but don't think you can get away with a 12-cent tip.

"We're hoping they'll tip on the whole price of the meal, and I believe most people will," Bertucci said.